Wax- and silicone-containing polishes used for protective and decorative purposes are well-known in the art. They provide shine to furniture, floors, and other surfaces by leaving a glossy coating on the surface. Such polishes contain ingredients that protect surfaces from tarnish and weather, remove old coatings, clean, and/or smooth rough surfaces. Many polishes, however, contain ingredients which are detrimental to certain surfaces, especially the fragile surfaces of many antiques, for example, and also can be detrimental to the user's health.
Often, the glossy coating on a polished surface is caused by buffing a surface with a wax-containing polish. Examples of commonly used waxes include paraffin wax, carnauba wax, microcrystalline petroleum wax, vegetable wax, animal wax, and oxidized polyethylene and other synthetic polymeric waxes. Although useful, these wax formulations often fail to provide the desirable combination of durability and malleability. In addition, although synthetic waxes are not per se objectionable, they often can be problematic when added to certain formulations; the presence of certain synthetic waxes can make some formulations difficult to apply thinly and to buff to an even sheen. Polishes that are difficult to apply often can give the polished surface an unsatisfactory appearance.
If the glossy coating is not caused by a wax film, then it may be due to a silicone film created using dimethylsilicones or amino functional silicone products. The advantage of silicone is its ease of application. Silicone, however, can contaminate surfaces and can be difficult to remove, especially amino functional silicones which crosslink and bond to the surface being polished.
Polishing formulations also frequently comprise a solvent, typically a volatile organic solvent. Solvents in commercially available polishes generally have a high aromatic content which can be toxic to the user and potentially damaging to the object being polished. For example, some formulations contain the solvent kerosene which can damage historic and cultural artifacts, antiques, and other objects. Most known commercial polishes lack long-term stability and contain unspecified and variable ingredients or undesirable ingredients, resulting in products of inconsistent or deleterious quality. The use of such products can be detrimental to objects, especially museum-quality artifacts and fragile antiques, and can create application problems.